Always so much to update on, and so little time

Folks,
I find myself once again apologizing for a lengthy internet absence, this time due to our moving out of our room where we picked up wireless to another building where we did not. This happened last Thursday night without warning. Last weekend I went to Palm Springs and the hotel didn't have internet. Tuesday we graduated from Comm School and rejoined what's left of our unit, who are staying in a squadbay with very limited access to power outlets, much less internet of any kind. So I'm writing this from the internet center and paying to do so. Gah!

As I said, last weekend we (me, Schauer, his Marine girlfriend and another girl from our class - who, so you don't even ask, I was and am wholly unattracted to) drove down to Palm Springs, which is about an hour away from base, for the weekend. We checked into some cheapo motel in a pretty nice area, reminiscent of Galena, and attempted to go to the bars. But Schauer isn't 21, and we weren't about to leave him behind just to do some drinking we could just as easily do in the hotel room, so we went back. Then we consumed said beverages while watching some infomercial for an 80's music collection I strongly considered purchasing. I read a book by Chuck Klosterman I had just received that day (by the way, Dad, I got your letter), and then fell asleep. Saturday was more of the same, except that for dinner we went to the same steakhouse chain that I went to with Dad, Sarah and Grandma Willey after boot camp, where I devoured a beautiful filet mignon. Sunday we returned to base after a quick stop at McDonald's.

Tuesday we graduated at 1300, and SSgt. Thomas, one of the staff NCOs from the straggler platoon from our unit, came by to tell us we were leaving very shortly after graduation to rejoin our unit, as opposed to Wednesday like everyone else. We did that and moved into the squadbay, and then they set us free to change into civilian attire and rejoin our class for our farewell barbeque. Then, being technically attached to no unit, I took advantage of my freedom and celebrated my graduation by going to the boring E-Club and drinking quite a number of beers. Walking home from there, I had to cross a concrete drainage ditch, very common around here, and hit a patch of sand and drove my knee into the ground and tore out the knee on my nice jeans. My knee is still scraped up like crazy and bruised. I'm an idiot.

Yesterday and today we just sat around the RSU (I don't even know what it stands for, but it's where all our unit's stuff is), doing working parties and killing time. Yesterday we cleaned out our old squadbay so that my original unit will have a place to stay when it gets back from Iraq next week. Today we cleaned the crew-served weapons (.50-cal machine gun, M240G machine gun, MK-19 automatic grenade launcher) so we can fire those next week. Oorah.

Suffice it to say, Dad, I have not yet taken a plane flight, although I'm amused that that was the conclusion you came to, not that I blame you. I just haven't had internet. I'll be sure to give you a call tomorrow or this weekend to keep you better updated, though, and let you know more.

Well, kids, I need to get back to the squadbay and hit the rack. I have two six-hour shifts as gate guard this Saturday, so since that's going to screw up my sleep schedule I'm trying to get as much sleep as I can today and tomorrow. I hope I've sufficiently updated you all for now, even though there's much more I could have said. I'll try to make it back here more often so I can actually answer emails as I receive them and keep everybody better updated. Hope all is well back home. Take good care of yourselves. Semper Fidelis.

Quick update

Folks,
I can't say much because I have to leave in about fifteen minutes. We went out to "the field" yesterday, which was right behind the barracks, and set up all the radios, and then slept out there last night, and this morning they let us return to the barracks for showers and hygiene time, another reason I have a hard time really respecting how much of a field environment this is. Not that I'm complaining.

I woke up yesterday feeling about a thousand times better. The sore throat is still noticeable but the tight feeling is gone, the froggy sound in my throat is gone, and I haven't had any problems swallowing, so I can eat and drink normally again. I've been gargling regularly with salt water, and I think soon it will be all gone. I'm relieved to have finally broken that nasty sore throat. Thanks for all the tips, folks!

The majority of our company flew out at 2 this morning for the sandbox. I've got mixed feelings on that. I'm eager to meet up with them, and I hope I can and soon.

That's all, gotta go, take care everybody!

Sick

I have a hard time convincing myself to post if I don't feel like much exciting has happened and the post might be short or imperfect. But it's been so long since my last post that I feel like I should post.

I am still sick, amazingly. I was feeling mostly better for awhile, and all I had was a minor sore throat that I could easily deal with. Now, that sore throat is just absurd, such that I've only been able to put down about half a meal at each meal, and even just drinking water is hard. A nasty cough came with it, but most notably one that shows up almost exclusively when I'm trying to sleep. I hardly ever cough, but if I try and sleep, I'll wake up about an hour later coughing uncontrollably. So after about three weeks of being sick, I finally went to medical on Tuesday. The guy took my vitals and questioned me a little bit, then I sat around and waited while I was expecting to see a doc. Instead, the same guy just came out a little later and said I could pick up some cold medicines from the naval hospital on the other side of base. So I went to pick up the medicines, and what were they but basically Tylenol, Robitussin and throat lozenges. So I got them for free, but it was nothing I didn't already have. Furthermore, since using those and the Nyquil I bought the other day, I swear it has only gotten worse. I can't understand it! I'm just tired of being sick. It especially sucks because we have a PFT tomorrow, and I doubt I'm going to improve on my run time with this sore throat and cough. If any of you know any good old maid's cures for a nasty sore throat, let me know, because it doesn't look like I'll be getting much help from BAS.

It's been a very laid-back week. Yesterday I filled out a security clearance application (again! I think this was the third time!), so if any of you get calls from the FBI or DOD, I'm not in trouble, just getting researched for my security clearance. Next week we go out to the field for three days for some practical application. It should be pretty easy, and laid-back field not like MCT super-intense field.

Yesterday I started getting all kinds of ideas for this short story I've been thinking about writing. It's exciting to me because it's not a fantasy and I don't often get interested in writing non-speculative fiction stories. We'll see if that leads anywhere.

I have to get back to class, my lunch break is nearing an end. I hope all is well for everybody out there. Semper Fi.

[addendum] I told my roommates the other day that not much I've ever encountered makes me happier than Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey. Here's a picture.

Silent Drill Platoon and Surprise Inspection

Our internet has been almost unusably slow lately, so if I haven't been responding to much or posting as often as I'd like, that's why.

Last night the word in the lance corporal underground was that we would have a surprise inspection of our rooms today for contraband, due to some Marines getting caught with drugs or something. Schauer and I both have Ka-bar fighting knives which are over the size limit we're allowed to have here at school, so we dropped them off with our platoon, which just got back from their extended liberties. While I was there, I caught up with a few of them who had gone to Vegas for their liberties, and it sounds like they had such a good time that if they get the weekend off they're going back. Also, I picked up my one piece of mail, a card from Matt Berge, wishing me a happy Valentine's Day of all things. Thanks, Matt...?

This morning, our test was postponed, because the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon and the Commandant's Own Band were performing on the General's lawn (our shabby grass parade deck here at 29 Palms). I have been wanting to see the Silent Drill Team since I first heard about them, so I was excited, and man, let me tell you, they did not disappoint. If you're not familiar with them, they are who you think of when you see all the rifle flipping around and all the perfect drill movements. They've been in a few movies as well...I believe you see them in the beginning of A Few Good Men, the Tom Cruise/Demi Moore/Jack Nicholson movie about a punk JAG officer telling some shit-hot Marines how they should run a base. Anyways, even the Commandant's Own Band was simply flawless. They performed a variety of stuff, from the Stars and Stripes Forever to some awful song from that awful hippy musical, Rent. Man, I hate Rent. I rue the day Ali made me listen to it.

After noon chow was the test, which I thought was pretty easy considering how little I studied for it. I wish college classes were this easy. Then after the test was the "surprise" inspection, which took up the rest of the afternoon. It was a huge mess, trying to thoroughly inspect probably 500 Marines' rooms in a single afternoon. We missed chow, so we ordered Papa John's. So yeah, they inspected our stuff, and recorded the serial numbers of our items of value like my PSP, laptop and mp3 player. Only one of our class got caught with contraband, apparently an empty bottle of brandy, and I'm fine with it because I hate the kid. He thinks he's a thug or something and that his growing up on the streets, which I doubt, should mean something to anybody else. I hope he gets kicked out of the class. He's pretty dumb anyways. I do my drinking at the E-Club, sad though that may be, and it keeps me perfectly happy, so why not him?

I checked my account the other day to see if I got paid, and apparently they paid me something like $1200 for travel expenses to and from MCT. That is a huge fluke, like getting a bank error in my favor in Monopoly. If they don't realize their mistake, then that money is mine, but I'm not going to spend it for awhile just in case I have to pay it back. But the same happened to all the other Marines who went to MCT with me, so maybe it's not a mistake, just some sort of overlooked kink in the system. I'm hoping I get to keep it.

That's probably all and more that's really worth mention at this point. Hope everything's going well for everyone else. Semper Fi.

Another week's end

I haven't had internet since Wednesday morning or something, hence no updates in that time.

I didn't get promoted on Wednesday, so I spent most of the day down in the dumps after letting myself get excited about it. Then at the end of the day they called our names and told us we were getting promoted Thursday and to bring our new chevrons so we could get properly pinned. Being senior-most of the promotees, I was to lead the formation, which meant when the company gunny took his place next to the captain I called the "hand salute" command and gave the greeting for the formation of 30-ish promotees and all that. I was also the first one promoted and they read my promotion warrant separately, since I was being promoted to a different rank than everybody else. It was pretty sweet!

To all who shall see these presents, greeting:
Know Ye, that reposing special trust and confidence in the fidelity and abilities of Roger K. Willey, I do appoint this Marine a Lance Corporal in the Reserve of the United States Marine Corps to rank as such from the first day of March, two thousand and six.
This appointee will therefore carefully and diligently discharge the duties of the grade to which appointed by doing and performing all manner of things thereunto pertaining. And I do strictly charge and require all personnel of lesser grade to render obedience to appropriate orders. And this appointee is to observe and follow such orders and directions as may be given from time to time by Superiors acting according to the rules and articles governing the discipline of the Armed Forces of the United States of America.
Given under my hand at MCCES, Training Command, Twentynine Palms, CA this first day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand and six.
M.I. Considine
Colonel, USMC
COMMANDING

So that's pretty exciting. It's caused a major boost in both motivation and self confidence for me, as I had been desperately needing. Walking around here as a lance corporal is outstanding, since basically everybody else (besides Klauer and a few other flukes) are privates or PFCs. I get addressed by my rank much, much more often, and I feel like sometimes people shape up a bit when they see me walk by, as though I'm going to ream them for misbehaving. I just smile and let them think that. I never make any demands to be addressed with more respect or anything now that I've got a whole two days as lance corporal, but I don't mind being the cause of better military discipline around here. Well, I guess I do demand that Schauer snap to attention and do my bidding and stuff like that, because that entertains me and frustrates him to no end, but that's all in good fun.

We had our roughest exam this week, and I only missed two, and on our practical application for the same I passed with flying colors. We have one more week of classroom learning and then we hit the field for three days, do some more practical application, then start wrapping things up and prepping for graduation.

This week has been just long. Studying, studying studying, and I've been sicker than a dog since Tuesday on top of it. Fever, headache, backache, neckache, chills, sore throat, coughing. I believe I've finally found some appropriate medicine for it though, and it seems like it might be slightly subsiding.

It occurred to me that my promotion means I have to change all of my uniforms. I have to get new rank insignia patched on to all of my dress uniforms in place of the PFC ones on there presently. What a pain in the butt. Ah well, at least it will look that much more impressive.